Whether I Protect You Is for Me to Decide!

"Hehe... impressive!" Yun Qingshui nudged Li Daochen with her elbow, her face full of admiration.

The number one beauty of Yunmeng had come to fetch Li Daochen in person. How could that not be impressive?

Yun Wanyi, whose conduct was always dignified, almost rolled her eyes beside them.

Her foolish disciple really did treat Li Daochen like a brother. And to think she had previously thought Yun Qingshui had feelings for him.

Li Daochen raised an eyebrow at Nangong Meng'er. "Do we know each other?"

"We do now, don't we?" Nangong Meng'er blinked, inadvertently showing a playful side that made her even more captivating.

But then she lowered her voice. "That Jade Water Flood Dragon from the Jade Water Sect once violated and killed a dear friend of mine. Thank you for killing it, young master."

Li Daochen's eyes flashed.

He had only killed Huang Zongyuan yesterday, yet today she had already investigated him so thoroughly. Nangong Meng'er was indeed no ordinary woman.

As for what Nangong Meng'er had said, he didn't believe a single word of it.

Thinking quickly, several ideas about how Nangong Meng'er might be planning to trap him surfaced in Li Daochen's mind.

The next moment, Li Daochen said calmly, "I didn't kill it. No need to thank me."

"I must thank you nonetheless. Please honor me with your company, young master," Nangong Meng'er insisted stubbornly, looking all the more graceful.

Yun Qingshui tugged hard at Li Daochen's sleeve, wishing she could agree for him.

The corner of Li Daochen's mouth twitched. With an expression of reluctance, he said, "All right."

Then he said to Ye Hua and Yun Wanyi, "Elders, I'll be back shortly."

Ye Hua's face was cold, but a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes. Clearly, he hadn't expected Li Daochen to know Nangong Meng'er too, though he said nothing.

Yun Wanyi's brows drew together almost imperceptibly, but in the end she said nothing either and let Nangong Meng'er take Li Daochen away.

The clamor around them immediately grew louder.

"Damn it, he actually went with her! The geniuses who adore Yunmeng Fairy won't be able to sit still now!"

"Who is that man? I want everything on him!"

Li Daochen walked shoulder to shoulder with Nangong Meng'er, faintly hearing remarks like these.

"Young Master Li defeated Huang Zongyuan and became the foremost young cultivator of the Yellow Dragon Sect. You truly are a dragon among men," Nangong Meng'er praised him.

"Huang Zongyuan was just trash. He was nothing," Li Daochen said calmly. He subtly noticed her eyelid twitch, making him all the more certain that Nangong Meng'er had ill intentions.

"Young Master Li is simply formidable," Nangong Meng'er added, as though she didn't know Huang Zongyuan.

Li Daochen gave no comment and took a long look at Nangong Meng'er.

If a woman was too good at concealing her feelings, once you offended her, you had to be on guard for a knife from the shadows at all times. You never knew when she might dig a pit and wait for you to walk into it yourself.

Before long.

The two arrived at Cloud Dream Lodge.

With Nangong Meng'er as their enthusiastic host, Li Daochen spent much of the day there.

At the end.

"Young Master Li, my presumptuous invitation may cause you some trouble. But it doesn't matter. I'll clear things up," Nangong Meng'er said softly.

Li Daochen gave no comment.

Playing the whore and putting up a chastity arch?

Nicely done!

Lin Wuming came from the Fire Thunder Sect, an Upper Profound Sect. He possessed a King Physique, and although he wasn't the strongest in the Fire Thunder Sect, he was among its best.

Moreover, he was young, only seventeen, yet he had reached the ninth level of the Divine Bridge realm. His potential was limitless!

Lin Wuming was also madly infatuated with Nangong Meng'er.

If Nangong Meng'er wanted him to leave the Fire Thunder Sect and join Yunmeng Ancient City, she would probably only have to say the word.

Ever since he first met Nangong Meng'er at fifteen, he had often fought out of jealousy over the past two years.

That day, Lin Wuming had intended to find out which banquet Nangong Meng'er would attend that evening, only to hear that she had taken a man to Cloud Dream Lodge!

Lin Wuming's face immediately darkened.

Lin Wuming, who knew everything about Nangong Meng'er, knew all too well what kind of place Cloud Dream Lodge was.

Ordinary people simply couldn't get in!

Even he, Lin Wuming, had never been inside!

During this Thousand Sect Grand Competition, Nangong Meng'er had hosted only two people with Sacred Physiques there.

Lin Wuming had no quarrel with those two. After all, with a mere King Physique, what strength did he have to act arrogant before people with Sacred Physiques?

But.

Who the hell was Li Daochen?

By the time Li Daochen walked out of Cloud Dream Lodge, evening was drawing near. He immediately saw Lin Wuming glaring at him fiercely like a beast.

In that short time, Lin Wuming had already learned that Li Daochen came from the Yellow Dragon Sect and was a nobody.

In that case.

Why should Lin Wuming be polite?

Li Daochen had naturally also seen how Nangong Meng'er planned to deal with him!

She had simply brought him to Cloud Dream Lodge to turn her admirers against him and make him the target of everyone's arrows.

That way, Li Daochen could forget about having an easy time at this Thousand Sect Grand Competition.

The method wasn't particularly clever; it was even somewhat clumsy. Yet it was extremely effective, killing without leaving a trace.

This woman certainly knew how to kill with a borrowed knife.

Li Daochen sneered inwardly.

"You, a cultivator from a Lower Profound Sect, where do you get the nerve to—" Lin Wuming shouted sternly.

But halfway through his words.

Boom!

Li Daochen moved like a swimming dragon. A white dragon appeared as he threw his punch, its force astonishing.

Now that he was at the Divine Bridge Fourth Layer, the Great Sun White Dragon Sacred Fist was who knew how many times more powerful when he used it again.

Moreover, Li Daochen already had four Holy Dragon Bones and two Demonic Dragon Bones in his body!

His day-and-night cultivation on Dragon Mountain over the past two-plus months had allowed him to form another Holy Dragon Bone and another Demonic Dragon Bone!

In his current state, so what if his opponent had a King Physique? So what if his own realm was lower? He could still smash him to pieces with one punch!

Lin Wuming's expression changed drastically. He hadn't expected Li Daochen to attack the moment he pleased, without even letting him finish speaking.

He hurriedly defended himself, only to feel an unmatched force surge into his body, hammering his King Physique until it cracked.

Bang!

Lin Wuming flew backward, spitting out a mouthful of blood. His head lolled to one side, and he fell unconscious.

"With that little strength, you dare act up in front of me? Where did this trash come from?" Li Daochen snorted coldly and swaggered away.

The surrounding cultivators immediately broke into an uproar.

Defeating Lin Wuming with one punch meant his strength was unquestionably tremendous.

Several men who had also wanted to step forward immediately held themselves back!

On the way.

Li Daochen's face was calm, his earlier arrogance gone.

"This happens to give me a way to accomplish a few things. There's no harm in making a bigger scene. As for Nangong Meng'er..."

Li Daochen paused and smiled coldly.

"No matter how beautiful you are, can you withstand this fist of mine, forged over nearly a thousand years?"

Cloud Dream Lodge.

Nangong Meng'er's previous serene beauty was gone. Her face looked somewhat cold, like a snow lotus on an icy mountain.

She sat cross-legged in a small pavilion, diligently brewing tea.

Before long.

A maid entered.

"My lady, they fought. Li Daochen defeated Lin Wuming with one punch," the maid said respectfully.

Nangong Meng'er's hand paused on the teapot. Then, without looking up, she nodded. "I see."

The maid bowed respectfully and slowly withdrew.

Nangong Meng'er meticulously finished each step of brewing the tea before slowly raising her head and gazing into the distance.

"Li Daochen," Nangong Meng'er murmured, her expression growing colder.

"To rise so quickly from a tiny Lower Spirit Sect is indeed astonishing. But you killed someone you shouldn't have, so I can only send you on your way."

Li Daochen soon arrived at the Yellow Dragon Sect's lodgings.

These were accommodations Yunmeng Ancient City had prepared for the various major sects.

As soon as he returned.

"Li Daochen, this is bad! Lots of people are asking about you, and they all look extremely hostile," Yun Qingshui said urgently, having finally noticed that something was wrong.

"It's fine." Li Daochen shook his head and went to see Yun Wanyi.

"Elder, I might stir up some trouble. I hope you'll bear with me when the time comes," Li Daochen said.

Had it been anyone else, Li Daochen wouldn't have bothered explaining, but Yun Wanyi was different.

When it came to Yun Wanyi, Old Devil Li's sincere heart was especially sincere.

"You must have noticed long ago. Why did you go anyway?" Yun Wanyi asked calmly.

"Since she's set her sights on me, if this scheme failed, she'd have another. I might as well turn her scheme against her and see what tricks she can come up with," Li Daochen said.

Yun Wanyi glanced at him and said only, "I took two of your Heaven and Earth Shackles before. I'll protect you once."

"No need, no need. I can handle it myself." Li Daochen quickly shook his head. How could he use the favor on something like this?

"Whether I protect you is for me to decide. It's none of your concern," Yun Wanyi said.

Li Daochen froze.

What a personality!

I like it!

Li Daochen left helplessly.

Yun Wanyi watched Li Daochen's departing figure and thought the boy was probably going to stir up trouble again.

But who was she, Yun Wanyi? Protecting a junior was as easy as lifting a finger.

Yun Wanyi stood, glanced down, and shook her head helplessly.

Being too big wasn't a good thing either; it drew attention too easily. Her disciple's were better, perfectly unremarkable.